Been a while since I was last on here. I didn’t go on a lot unless I could help with anything. So jock update. I’m now happily retired. Dog walking and playing golf. Going on occasional holidays. Had a week in Seville to celebrate my 70th birthday. January I had a bad hip. Thought it was just a strain but it got worse. Massive pain couldn’t sleep or walk. So off to GPs, saw a nurse, sent me for x-Ray, came back; mild osteo arthritis, no further action! Errrm no, I’m still in pain etc back to Drs. Saw a Dr, well would you like stronger painkillers? Would that cure my hip?? Err no! Right so can we find out what’s causing the pain please. How about MRI? As if it’s not hard tissue, must be soft. Welllll? There’s a long wait for MRI (min 22 weeks!), let’s try physio. Two sessions of that, very nice guy who immediately said it was my sacryolic. So that didn’t work which he said. So ended up paying for MRI and private consultation with my rheumy consultant, who is very good as he couldn’t get me treatments any faster on NHS, and, what a surprise, massive swelling and RA connected flair in the hip area! So immediate put me on oral steroids, which gave me relief from major pain within days and paid for ultrasound guided injection in the hip. Within a couple of days I’m now pretty pain free and walking again building up strength in the right side and practicing walking without limping!
Sad indictment of our ‘wonderful’ health service isn’t it. And yes I’m one of the lucky ones that is able to afford to get this done private. Otherwise it would have continued until my hip was destroyed and I’d have been in a wheelchair and of course on a three+ year wait for hip replacement.
Rant over😉. Have a nice day everyone.
Written by
Retiredtech28
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Very sadly a story heard so often these days as patients just accept what they are told,& don’t push for any further explanations if they actually get an Xray which is inconclusive & as you say can’t a lot of people just can’t afford to opt for private treatment.
Glad you are now in a better place…but don’t get stuck on steroids for too long.
At least as a male you don’t have as much chance of developing osteoporosis as females. But I feel if you can avoid steroids…Do! But of course some can’t manage that . Stay healthy!
Is it Jack Nicholson used to say IIII'mmmmm bbbaaaacckkkk? I'm glad your now retired and had a break too. It's true about being lucky and fingers crossed you keep on getting better. I had a fortnight in Cypress recovering from a surgical procedure, then last week saw Alfie Bee in concert and stood, stamped and clapped for a very special evening. Then July off to Brittany (Quiberon) for a week then September Gran Canneria. One thing having a bout in hospital is that we realised our family have more than enough and lets enjoy the fruits of being able to do stuff while I can. I'll at some not too distant point have dialysis but even then its vital to stay positive and at least that is something that is still working well on the NHS so mustn't grumble as like you I'm one of the lucky ones. I count my blessings that life is good and oddly enough my bones are great as I've been taking Ad Cal D3 for years now because of the CKD. I broke my leg and ankle in a nasty fall in 2022 and both mended well. Might be worth asking about AdCal d3?
glad you’re still managing to travel. We went to Seville earlier this year to celebrate my 70th. Next year cruising round the Mediterranean for our 50th wedding anniversary. Plus this year a couple of long weekends in the uk. So trying to keep going and stay active. Can’t give up.
indeed not we did med cruise a few years ago to go to Monaco grande pri. Missed it as boat by Celebrity didn’t get to Barcelona to get to Monaco in time. We got a large refund and my husband was so cross. I want to try Hertigrunda to see Norway but that’s for next year. I’ve never been to Seville but Barcelona for an unxpcted few days as nice. Saw the Gaudi cathedral after a long Q but it really was worth it. Venice was ok but I’d not rush back but I loved Florence.
Been to Barcelona a few times. Done all the gaudi stuff. (Mad as a bucket of frogs in my opinion 😂) but nice city. We did the fjords cruise on a P&O ship last year. Brilliant , well worth doing. And we did Venice at the end of eastern cruise started in Athens, all the Greek islands Turkey then two days in Venice. Very busy but worth doing just to cross it off bucket list as never been before.
And apologies to whoever’s this thread is for taking it over😂. It’s Medway ladies fault, honest!😉
It's your post..chat away! 😂 I've done a few cruises too, our Fjord one was cancelled due to lockdown due to my health we haven't rebooked it yet, hopefully we get to go one day! Glad I travelled when I was able to though.
Oh yeah. So it is😂. Replied to so many I got confused. Blame the steroids, or the two pints of lager I’ve just had at Father’s Day dinner with my daughter 🤪
Isn’t the message life goes on and with things to look forward to it cheers up a miserable rainy day. Honestly blaming me for being positive and even in sometimes trying circumstances still appreciating life. lol xxx
Good to see you back but sorry you're struggling. You're absolutely right about finding the causing of your pain rather than taking the tablets and hushing up, I find this is all to often, but good you are in a position to get the MRI faster. Good luck! Xx
And a well earned rant - so many of these things are easier sorted with speedier intervention. The reason that so many people end up with social care requirements is due to the fact that they can't afford private treatment and NHS delays leads to irreversible deterioration - the old saying "a stitch in time saves nine" is so true. Glad you are sorted and enjoying retirement - wonderful isn't it
well said and you have galvanised me to see (well try to) my GP. I suffer dreadful hip pain but have always assumed or attributed it to living with Stills Disease for 40 years plus. Stills mainly attacks and damages small joints so my assumption it probably wrong and my hip needs looking at……
Absolutely go for it. Trouble is trying to get anything done on the NHS. The GP would have to refer you to osteo person at hospital. So looong wait for that. Then they would say, oh yes we need to see x-Ray (which can be quick) but MRI? Here min 22 week wait. Then follow up back with consultant, another long wait. Then treatment? Well your guess is as good as mine. That’s what I was faced with. But keep pushing and hope you get sorted.
RA is a bugger ! So I’m glad you’ve been able to advance your MRI to provide access to the treatment you need. We rely heavily on the NHS but it’s crumbling under pressure at the moment which really concerns me because I don’t know what I’d have done without them.
You work hard so you can play hard, my dear old dad use to say. OH and me chose not to have kids and planned a fun-filled retirement at 60 in our heads … but hadn’t factored in that at 55 RA would strike and stop me dead in my tracks.
Well it took 3 years to get it under control, but then at 58 I decided to advance our travel plans while health and finances allowed. So in the last 5 years we’ve ticked off Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Thailand, Vietnam, Italian and French rivieras, Iceland, Croatia, Singapore, HongKong, Mauritius, Langkawi and Borneo and we have Australia, New Zealand and Kefalonia already scheduled for next year. India, Alaska and Japan are still on the list which continues to grow🤞🤞
I’m grabbing life by the kahoonas while my RA is relatively stable (assisted by methotrexate, Amgevita, occasional naproxen and a brilliant hubby). I know I’m so lucky to be able to do this but travel has always been a passion and while I was working I didn’t have the time to do it. Then I had the time but didn’t have the health. So while finances allow, here goes …
Hope you find a biologic that enables you to move on to your next adventure 👍
Great attitude. And you’ve been to a couple on my bucket list. I’d love to see South America. We made plans too and RA wasn’t an issue but the AKI changed everything overnight. But I’m not giving in, I do as much as I can within some limits.
I’m so so sorry to hear your plans were scuppered by AKI . Not quite the same I know, but it’s easy to experience with some of the fantastic travel programmes available to us. Take care x
Oh, but fab places all the same. I adore French food and we had a really lovely short break in Gran Canaria in March (I forgot to mention😳) in a beautiful resort called Puerto de Mogan. Even better it’s quite flat unlike a lot of the resorts there. Have a great time 👍
Great positive attitude! Yes we were great travellers all round the world, some of it connected with my job. Slowed down a bit now. Did New York (for the US open tennis), Washington, Chicago then Niagara Falls last year. This year I’m having a rest😂. My wife isn’t, she’s on a trip round canada and Alaska at the moment . Do keep on doing as much as you can as long as you can😁
Thanks for explaining things. This is exactly what happened to me, terrible pain, couldn't walk. Pandemic meant GP wasn't doing F2F. He was very kind on the phone, but definitely no imaging offered, no explanation, and no medication until after the worst of the pain was over as it took so long for the tramadol to arrive. Nothing else offered (I can't take NSAIDs or codeine).
I wanted to know why but at every turn I was fobbed off. Did eventually get a physio appt but by then it was long over. He thought it was osteoarthritis but couldn't ask for an x-ray or anything other imginging. I had to wait to see the rheumatologist. She was positive it wasn't osteoarthritis, but arranged an MRI. Six months had now passed and i was pretty much back to the way I was before. MRI of course found nothing much.
Next time I have this I will demand steroids.
I hope you enjoy your travels. As a full time carer for my disabled son, the only travelling I do is with Google Earth!
Ahhh yes. Wonder how long they are going to keep using that as a reason? Ok, yes that has caused a backlog of treatments. But, let’s take the private sector businesses not just health. What happened was when it was over, get extra staff in. Work extra shifts to clear backlog. But is the NHS run efficiently and management able to do this? Errrm you work it out.
I shall now await the barrage of comments telling me I’m wrong and why it couldn’t happen 😂. But I should point out I did work within and with the health service and authorities dealing with the NHS supply chain when I was in the private sector. So I have first hand experience of how they operate 😉
I live in the US but was raised in England and left to come here when I was 22 years old. I understand your rant against the NHS. My brother died from bowl cancer after he had been to the doctor a couple of times and had lost 20 pounds. The doctor did not see fit to order a colonoscopy! My brother was 58 when he died. Ten years later my mom was experiencing stomach pain and again no tests were ordered. When the pain got unbearable a test showed stage four bladder cancer and she died six months later,
plsed for you. If you can have private replacement as and when needed that's great. If not maybe get on waiting list. Good wishes Steroid great short term I'm told but not good on the whole for bone health maybe look at supps Dr Sarah Myhill helpful
I’m just on oral steroids for a month. Hopefully the hip injection should solve the problem and my RA drugs will keep everything under control. So 🤞shouldn’t need hip replacement.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
pain killer use with methotrexate 
Well, I’m starting humira in the next 3-4 week
Hi people I’m newly diagnosed with RA and Struggling with how fast it’s effecting me!
Email from work colleague with RA is going to be used in my hearing!
Back from seeing Rheumy nurse !
